A Look at Both Sides of the Southern Alps, New Zealand

The Southern Alps run down the middle of New Zealand’s South Island, providing a sort of “backbone”. In this image, snow and clouds are present on the eastern side of the ridge, while the western side is clear.

Along the west coast, several rivers can be seen spilling sediments into the Tasman Sea. Sediments are also present along the northern coastline, pouring into the Cook Strait. In the full image, sediments and/or algae can be seen giving a bright blue color to several glacial lakes in the Mackenzie Basin, at the eastern foot of the Alps.